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Friday, August 5, 2016

Cute Animal Feature - Popcorn Scented Binturong

What strange but cute animal has a face similar to a cat, the
build of a small bear, and a long tail like a monkeys? It’s called a binturong,
more commonly known as a bearcat. The binturong has captured the hearts of many
people because of their adorable face, and their strange scent that smells very
similarly to a favorite human snack. They’re native to the rainforest of
Southeast Asia and are rarely seen in the wild since they live high above the
canopies and hardly ever come down. They’re robust animals, growing to be 2-3
feet long (double that if you include the tail) and between 25 and 50 pounds.

Below are 10 facts about the binturong to get to know this
lovable, exotic creature better.

They’re not cats or bears

Although they’re called binturong s, they’re actually no where
near related to cats or bears. The binturongis categorised under the Viverridae family, which is a classification of
an ancient group of small to medium sized mammals that are native to the Old
World (eastern hemisphere). binturong s are actually more closely related to
genets and civets. They’re taxonomy is also one of the most divers of the
carnivores, consisting of 66 species found all over Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, India, and Southeast Asia.

Fruit loving carnivores

Although the Binturong is a carnivore, its diet is actually
mostly composed of fruits. In the wild, the binturonglives of a diet based on a variety of food,
including fruits (especially the strangler fig), small mammals, birds, fish,
small invertebrates, leaves and plant shoots, eggs, and carrion. Those living
in captivity are often give food like bananas, apples, tomatoes, yams, carrots,
leaves, ground meat, and even dog food (you’d think they’d prefer cat food).

What’s in a name?

Where the animal’s name originated is still unknown.
Researchers say that the language where the word “binuturong” comes from is now
extinct.However, it’s most likely from
one of the native groups who have lived in the Southeast Asian region. We’re
just guessing it means something close to “buttered popcorn”.

Popcorn scent

Speaking of buttered popcorn, for some reason, the
binturongactually smells like buttered
popcorn. Like the members of theViverridae family, binturong s have scent glands which are found right
under their tail. They use their scent to mark their territory, and their tails
basically act like a mop that spreads their scent as they make their way
around. Although they smell the the movies to us, other binturong s actually
pick up this scent as a message that another binturongalready owns this territory. Their scents
also help female and male binturong s find each other during mating season.

They’re noisy

These little guys actually make a lot of noise to communicate and express
themselves. Happy binturongs would chuckle, however an irritated one would make
a growl fiercely or high-pitched wail. When they’re hunting, they would
periodically make low grunts and hissing sounds. And when a femalebinturongis looking for a mate, she’d purr like a cat.

Tree dwellers

For an animal that can weigh up to 25 and 50 pounds, the
binturong actually prefers to stay on top of trees. They’re skilled climbers
and move through the forest canopy, moving from one branch to another. Because
of their size, they can’t leap. They use their strong feet and semi-retractable
claws to get a good hold on tree branches. Their hind legs can even rotate
backwards so their claws still have a good grip when climbing down a tree
head-first.Binturongs even sleep high
in tree branches, curling up with their heads tucked under their tails.

They have prehensile tails

binturongs are the only Old World mammal that have a prehensile
tail. Their tails grow about the same length of their body and act like a fifth
limb when climbing. The tip of their tail has a leathery patch that gives extra
traction when they use it to hold on to a branch. Their tail might be its most
vital climbing tool. When sleeping, they use their tails like anchors, gripping
tightly on a branch to stop them from falling off.

Bear walk

Binturongs, like bears, walk flat-footed. When they walk, such
as in instances where they have to come down from the canopy,in an ambling, side-to-side gait. Think pooh
bear as he makes his way into the forest, only with four legs.

Planned pregnancy

Here’s a trait that most women would probably want. Female
binturongs are about to mathe throughout the whole year, however, most births
happen between January and March. Researchers believe that binturongs are one
of the only 100 mammal species that have the ability to delay implantation.
This means that they can mate anytime they want, but time the birth of their
young to a season with favorable environmental conditions.

Strangler figs

These animals actually have a special relationship with
strangler fig. They play a big role in spreading the seed of these fruits in their
droppings. They’re one of the only two animals that have digestive enzymes
capable of softening the tough outer covering of the fig’s seeds, making the
binturongs a very important specie in the rainforest.

Through the years, a vast number of the forest lands in Southeast Asia has
become threatened by human activity. The main threats to binturongs are habitat
destruction, hunting, and the wildlife trade.